What has become of the theater, the “moral institution” of Schiller and Brecht? Today more than ever, we need conviction and moral stance to put an end to the world’s lies. backstageclassical.com/traut-euch-m...

The Deutsche Oper Berlin under Aviel Cahn (from 2026) will forego a new GMD, opting instead for a conductor team: Maxime Pascal, Michele Spotti as Principal Guests, and Titus Engel as Conductor in Residence. backstageclassical.com/dirigenten-t...

François-Xavier Roth’s debut with the SWR Symphony in Freiburg contrasted drama and transparency. Applause, yet Roth’s Stuttgart start drew mixed reactions and criticism over past scandals and SWR’s handling. backstageclassical.com/spannungsbog...

Monday is newsletter day: today with François-Xavier Roth’s inaugural concert, the meaning of opera in Dresden, culture as an export hit, and hallway chatter from Salzburg. backstageclassical.com/ohren-zu-und...

At the Munich Philharmonic concert in Vienna’s Musikverein, pro-Palestinian activists disrupted the performance with “Free Gaza!” chants and a Palestinian flag. Security removed them, the audience answered with »Geh scheiß‘n« (»go shit« or »f… of«) backstageclassical.com/geh-scheissn...

Germany faces a severe shortage of music teachers: only 43% of classes are taught by specialists, 7% are canceled. Bavaria cut hours for arts, halving music in many schools, sparking inequality concerns. backstageclassical.com/musikunterri...

Incoming Hamburg State Opera director Tobias Kratzer outlines his artistic vision in a podcast, emphasizing inclusivity, quality, and accessibility. He sees opera as both a space for beauty and political discourse. backstageclassical.com/wie-monstroe...

Lahav Shani criticizes the Gent concert cancellation, stressing his commitment to peace, empathy for victims on both sides, and music’s role in uniting people amid the Gaza conflict debate. backstageclassical.com/alles-muss-g...

The cancellation of Lahav Shani in Ghent sparked a storm of outrage: accusations of antisemitism, viral hashtags, politicians’ statements, and solidarity concerts. Shani stayed silent—most powerful of all. backstageclassical.com/all-you-need...

In BackstageClassical, Semperoper Dresden’s director Nora Schmid discusses opera’s role as a space of community, dialogue, and empathy. backstageclassical.com/oper-ist-ein...

At Vienna’s Volksoper, Lotte de Beer reimagines The Magic Flute as a coming-of-age tale: Tamino rescues Pamina, caught between her divorced parents, Sarastro and the Queen of the Night. backstageclassical.com/traumreise-o...

Siegmund Nimsgern world-renowned bass-baritone from Saarland, has died. By Thomas Schmidt-Ott. backstageclassical.com/ich-habe-ein...

Breaking on BackstageClassical: Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart de Wever is said to have demanded the resignation of Flanders Festival chief Jan Briers during a phone call. backstageclassical.com/es-ist-kein-...

Belgian PM Bart de Wever visited Lahav Shani and the Munich Philharmonic in Essen, stressing his government rejects their exclusion from Flanders Festival and declaring zero tolerance for antisemitism. backstageclassical.com/es-ist-kein-...

Weekend-read: Jagoda Marinić’s 2025 Brucknerfest speech warns of authoritarianism, digital manipulation, war, and indifference to crises. Bruckner’s music, for her, embodies resilience and the power to see beyond resignation. backstageclassical.com/was-koennen-...

AfD MP Matthias Moosdorf was fined €2,000 and banned from speaking in the Bundestag for six weeks after an unauthorized Russia trip, which he defends as private and musical. backstageclassical.com/selbst-die-a...

Matthias Schulz begins his first season as Director of Zurich Opera on Sept 19 with a 24-hour opening. He notes less financial pressure than in Berlin and praises Switzerland’s mixed funding model of state aid, ticket sales, and private sponsors. backstageclassical.com/wir-brauchen...

The Flanders Festival Ghent canceled a concert with the Munich Philharmonic and conductor Lahav Shani, citing his unclear stance toward Israel’s government. This decision is unjust and antisemitic! backstageclassical.com/belgiens-abs...

The Ruhrtriennale offers innovation and ambition with mixed results. Highlights include Venables’ daring opera We Are the Lucky Ones, immersive sound experiments, and industrial venues turned into art spaces. backstageclassical.com/zwischen-zec...

Debate: The Vienna Philharmonic is facing harsh criticism for declining musical quality and outdated structures. Without structural reform the orchestra risks becoming a glamorous but hollow symbol of past greatness. backstageclassical.com/altes-gold/

Montag ist newsletter-day! A singer battles leukemia and records Winterreise, more and more orchestras fear for their existence, and the Met seeks salvation in Saudi Arabia. backstageclassical.com/leben-und-to...

Christoph von Dohnányi, renowned German conductor, has died at 95 in Munich. Born in 1929, he shaped leading opera houses and orchestras from Frankfurt and Hamburg to Cleveland and London. backstageclassical.com/der-verteidi...

Thomas Schmidt-Ott has got a new column at BackstageClassical. He wants to explain how music really works in his own witty, authentic way. He enjoys challenging conventions and sharing honest, humorous insights on classical music culture. backstageclassical.com/ich-will-man...

Andris Nelsons will remain Gewandhauskapellmeister in Leipzig until 2032, entering a third term. Despite internal debates and criticism, the orchestra chose continuity. Joint projects with Boston will continue. backstageclassical.com/kann-nelsons...

Podcast: Shortly before life-saving therapy, Johannes Martin Kränzle recorded Schubert’s Winterreise, now released by Hänssler Classic. After a second stem cell transplant, he returned to the stage in Salzburg just 7 months later. backstageclassical.com/wenn-es-um-l...

Daniel Barenboim cancels his Sept 7 Grafenegg concert after a fall caused injuries. Rudolf Buchbinder will lead the finale, conducting Beethoven’s 4th & 5th piano concertos from the piano. backstageclassical.com/buchbinder-u...

Tabaré Perlas becomes BRSO’s new manager in April 2026, succeeding Nikolaus Pont. Formerly at West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, he brings vast global experience to lead BRSO’s management and future projects. backstageclassical.com/tabare-perla...

Our new column by Thomas Schmidt-Ott: Trump seizes the Kennedy Center. Coming soon: Wagner with fireworks, Verdi with MAGA twists, and Mozart with Giuliani—Make the Eighties Great Again! backstageclassical.com/kommt-die-al...

Peter Gelb said, “I must secure the Met’s survival,” explaining a deal for regular performances in Saudi Arabia from 2028, worth over $100M, to ease financial woes despite human rights criticism. backstageclassical.com/metropolitan...

The Deutsche Oper am Rhein presents Lohengrin in Taiwan’s National Kaohsiung Center. Conductor Wen-Pin Chien leads both local and Düsseldorf ensembles. The project blends European opera tradition with Taiwan’s growing cultural scene. backstageclassical.com/i-dream-big/

The Tölzer Knabenchor and Concerto Vocale Foundation cut all ties with conductor Julian Wachner after his arrest in the U.S. over child pornography charges. They stress no further collaboration. backstageclassical.com/toelzer-knab...

Cities and governments in Germany and Austria are enacting major budget cuts, with culture hit hardest. Cultural institutions must brace for structural change and justify public support amid growing financial pressure and shifting priorities. backstageclassical.com/erst-kommt-d...

Endlich ist der Montag wieder Newsletter-Tag: Zurück aus der Sommerpause! Klassik und Kulturkampf, das Ringen um #metoo und zu viele Tote. backstageclassical.com/gluecklich-i...

Zubin Mehta cancels his Grafenegg Festival concert (Sept 7, 2025) for health reasons. Daniel Barenboim steps in for his Grafenegg debut; program with Brahms’ 1st Symphony and Piano Concerto stays. backstageclassical.com/barenboim-so...

Gabriel Feltz, GMD in Kiel and Dortmund, is dead. He was acclaimed for both classic and contemporary music. Renowned for teamwork, he led the Dortmund Ring cycle and fostered musical collaboration. backstageclassical.com/der-dirigent...

The Tiroler Festspiele Erl, now led by Jonas Kaufmann, praised conductor Gustav Kuhn on his 80th birthday, ignoring past sexual assault allegations and victims. No criticism, just praise—showing no lessons learned. backstageclassical.com/so-vergangen...

Valentin Schwarz, artistic director of the Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar, sees theater as a political space that must take a clear stance against the AfD. He advocates for openness, dialogue, and democratic values. backstageclassical.com/position-geg...

The Beethovenfest Bonn is hosting a #MeToo-themed event—but are victims sidelined, asks Shoko Kuroe. The festival risks symbolic activism over real change. An essay. backstageclassical.com/wenn-die-opf...

Conductor and teacher Julian Wachner was arrested in Indianapolis for child porn possession. Crypto transfers to a darknet site triggered the probe. Drugs and illicit files were found at his home. backstageclassical.com/koks-und-kin...

John Williams, 93, criticized film music as inferior to classical works, calling his own iconic scores a „job that came along.“ Though he shaped cinema with scores for Star Wars and Harry Potter, he sees his work as pragmatic. backstageclassical.com/ich-mochte-f...

Julien Chavaz will remain General Director of Theater Magdeburg until 2032. Under his direction, it became a cultural hotspot attracting young talent and new audiences. backstageclassical.com/chavaz-bleib...

This summer revealed how the classical music scene is dismantling its moral and political boundaries. Despite Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine criticism fades as cultural institutions return to „normal.“ backstageclassical.com/augen-zu-und...

Julian Wachner, music teacher and conductor, was arrested in Indianapolis on child pornography charges. He was suspended from his school post; investigations continue. Presumption of innocence applies. backstageclassical.com/dirigent-weg...

Sound engineer Georg Burdicek, founder of tonzauber, has died at just 43. Loved for his calm, passion, and precision, he shaped countless recordings and will be deeply missed in the world of classical music. backstageclassical.com/die-ohren-un...

Christoph Koncz will become chief conductor of the Bruckner Orchestra Linz from September 2027. Meanwhile, Vladimir Jurowski has extended his contract as General Music Director in Munich until 2029. backstageclassical.com/koncz-kommt-...

Robert Wilson, visionary US theatre director, has died at 83. He revolutionized opera with hypnotic visuals and minimalist staging, notably with Philip Glass’s "Einstein on the Beach." Wilson brought fresh perspectives to classics. backstageclassical.com/robert-wilso...

The Big Talk Before the Summer Holidays! XXL podcast about everything happening in the classical music world — with Hannah Schmidt and Axel Brüggemann: backstageclassical.com/mit-schildkr...

Yesterday – Newsletterday! backstageclassical.com/bayreuth-sal...

At the Salzburg Festival, Dmitri Tcherniakov sets Handel’s Giulio Cesare in a war bunker, turning it into a psychological battlefield of love, jealousy, and despair. Though professionally staged and powerfully sung, the production feels emotionally monochrome. backstageclassical.com/im-salzburge...

Matthias Davids stages Wagner’s Meistersinger in Bayreuth as colorful escapism, featuring a giant balloon cow and playful burlesque. Though creatively recycled, it lacks originality. Musically smooth but unspecific. backstageclassical.com/jetzt-ist-sc...